Blasphemy against Christ is allowed since it is not the unforgivable sin

Actor Gerald "Slink" Johnson of Grand Theft Auto V fame will portray "Black Jesus" on the Adult Swim program of the Cartoon Network.

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Remember all the fuss and outrage when a video about Islam was produced by Coptic Christians and there was just a perceived irreverence towards the Koran and prophet Mohammed? The secular world shows extreme restraint when dealing with certain beliefs as Islam. There were calls to show respect and dignity towards the Muslim religion by those in authority.

Sacrilege against Christian symbols as Jesus is nothing new since the standard of “tolerance” is conveniently waved at Christians who are told to be understanding when it comes to the denigration of their belief systems.

What makes this more sickening than the blasphemy of Jesus, which Jesus Himself said would be forgiven, but the standard stereotypical black living in the hood with lower than expected values and character could well be the bigger problem than being irreverent towards Jesus.

Much of the setting is reminiscent of the black exploitation films circa 1970s/80s where blacks were portrayed as oversexed gangsta pimp types usually involved with drugs and overdone violence. What do we have some forty years later? We have foul language, violence, drugs, and other illicit conditions involving “a black guy living in the hood”. We have come a long way, baby.http://www.blackclassicmovies.com/Movie_Database/blaxploitation.html

Sorry, this story line has been worn out to the max. It’s tired.

For what is allegedly touted to be a cartoon station, it is doubtful the suspect standards that bring blasphemy against Jesus Christ will be too funny to those that have a respectable relationship through Jesus Christ. It will be another hypocritical moment for those going out of their way to target Christianity.

However what this writer finds not too amusing is the racist stereotyping by lowering so many standards simply due to the fact that the character is black and living in a black neighborhood. A “black Jesus is living in the hood?” Really?

The idea that the animated show has this black messiah living in a place called “Compton Gardens” is not going to make very many Compton residents or self-respecting blacks too happy. You have to be pretty brassy to attempt humor with that suspect comparison.

Dropping F-bombs and engaging in corruptible communications is something the Bible clearly warns against and it will be difficult to find anything of social redeeming value which is the very definition of obscenity according to the US Supreme Court. One may perhaps discover the purpose to the goal of presenting a black Jesus in such “ghetto” conditions and what message is being attempted to be broadcast.

One thing for certain, the producers of this program will be walking a politically correct mine field regarding the protest from religious groups or people that object to the poor presentation of the Biblical Jesus. Also the watch groups for blacks that will be monitoring the program for inappropriate content will give their take. One would safely wager that “Black Jesus” will have a bigger problem with the black community than the religious community.

Either with the religious groups or the black advocacy groups, the production of “Adult Swim” depicting a black Jesus will have more problems than it bargained for on Thursdays on the Cartoon Network should they go forward with its late night broadcast. There is a chance for some breakthroughs regarding stereotyping blacks and religion, but whether it will happen or not is questionable.

Watching "Adult Swim" with its revamped "Black Jesus" will only annoy those with standards concerning religious reverence towards Jesus, although the term blasphemy is loosely thrown about.

The Bible suggest those that don’t know any better will be beaten with few blows while those that do know better will suffer more severe punishment. Many blasphemous actions are done out of ignorance and God has the ability to discern sinning with or without knowledge. Instead of getting pushed out of shape, savvy Christians are aware that blasphemy against Christ can be forgiven anyway. The unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the only unpardonable sin.

Those with religious values are keenly aware of the double standard concerning respect and tolerance. One is required to tolerate the views of those with anti-religious diatribe and show respect for those same irreverent views. The reverse many times does not happen.

Balancing content with a message can be precarious when dealing with race or religion and ultimately the viewer will judge the benefit or detriment of what is being presented. There is an audience that enjoys programming that spoofs religion, as long as their sacred cow is not gorged. There are those that enjoy programming that spoofs other races. It is the larger audience that should determine whether there is sufficient good taste to continue viewing.

The vote by not watching is what typically determines the life or death of a television program.

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There are many claiming Christianity; be it a church or individual. But there are far few that actually practice Christianity. Just because there is a cross on the front of the building doesn't mean it's a "Christian" church or organization. Jesus Christ warned that "many shall come in My Name" but to not be deceived. This writer attempts to hold to the ideals that were introduced some 2000 years ago as a bridge from the past to a blessed hope in the future.